Plum-Chocolate-Muffins with walnuts

Fall morning view from our kitchen window

Before I forget to mention it:
If you will bake these muffins (you really should!): EAT THEM STILL A LITTLE WARM!
They are tasty in the cold version, but fresh from the oven, eventually added some vanilla sauce...it`s a DREAM! Warm plum in a chocolate dough...this is fall-heaven!

At the moment, I do a lot of seasonal kitchen.
For sure it is also because I get a green box from a farm every two weeks, and there is only seasonal stiff in.
But also, no doubt, I try to eat seasonal, for health and environment.
But the third reason is, that i really enjoy to ring the season-bell with some wonderful things I only eat at that time of year. I would never buy for example strawberries now, even if there are some in the supermarket that came from...I don`t know where. They are here best in July, and I only will eat them in the summer. Bam! That`s it!
I often can`t wait for special season diamonds, like pumpkin or cherries or mandarines...and this longing, this waiting for it, makes it even better when I finally can bite into it!

In Germany, we have definitely fall now. Leaves are golden or already felt down. It`s getting colder, even if I am astonished how warm it is at the moment in contrast to the years before (I don`t need a jacket, what is NOT normal here).
We have season now for pumpkins, plums, nuts, chestnut, mushrooms, quince, figs, cabbage and venison.

I never prepared something with quinces in my life, and unfortunately it is very rare and ard to buy here. I have the plan to cook something with it this winter...I hope it will work.
But the christmas cookie time is not very far from today, so I also have to plan to bring you some more awesome and traditional recipes.

But for now, enjoy these (warm) plum-muffins.

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PLUM-CHOCOLATE MUFFINS with cinnamon
>makes 12 muffins

Ingredients
> 6 plums (the round, big ones preferred)
> 100 grams of sugar
> 200 grams of all-purpose-flour
> 2 tsp baking powder
> 1 tsp bakind soda
> 60 grams chopped dark chocolate
> 2 big Tbsp Chopped walnuts
> 3 Tbsp dark cocoa powder
> 1 flat tsp cinnamon, grounded
> 2 eggs
> 80 ml vegetable oil
> 250 grams plain yogurt
> some coarse sugar

Method
>> Wash your plums and cut them in half.
Fill large pan half a centimeter with water, add 1 Tbsp of your sugar and steam plums at soft heat for 5 minutes. Ket cool down.
>> Preheat oven: 180°C/350°F (upper and lower heat) ( if you use a convection oven, it`s 160°C/320°F)
>> Combine dry ingredients in bowl: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chopped walnuts and chopped chocolate
>> Combine liquid stuff in a large bowl (you will add the dry things in there, too): eggs, sugar, oil, yogurt. Stir until you got a homogeneous mixture.

>>Prepare your muffin sheet: put muffinspaper in or coat with butter/fat.Sprinkle some coarse sugar into the bottom.

>> Now, QUICKLY, add dry ingredients to liquid ones and mix them roughly (no problme, if there are some flour drops in). Fill into mufins holes until 3/4 full. In each one, press a plum half softly into the dough.

>> Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

>> Put into the oven and let in for about 20 - 25 minutes (in my oven, 20 minutes is always enough. Keep an eye on it)


***dance around the fireplace and sing a song for all the plums in this wonderful world!***